Suppose you have decided to use SiteGround as your hosting provider, and you want to know if GrowBig is the best fit for you; you are in the right place.
In this post, I will show you my honest SiteGround GrowBig review (the site you are visiting now is hosted by SiteGround GrowBig plan), then you can see if the GrowBig plan is ideal for your business.
What Is SiteGround?
SiteGround is a popular web hosting company (shared hosting, cloud hosting, domain registration, and more), established in 2004 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
With over 500 staff, the company has hosted more than 2,000,000 domains worldwide.
It is famous for its speed optimization, professional service, and high security.
Their hosting service is highly recommended by WordPress.org, WooCommerce, and Yoast.
What Is SiteGround Used for?
If you want to
- create small & medium sites
- have an online store (such as WooCommerce)
- build a website (such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal)
- expand your online business
- build a high-performing site
SiteGround has you all covered with its flexible hosting packages at affordable rates.
In a word, it is a trusted web hosting service provider that you can confidently expect to grow your site with.
SiteGround GrowBig Plan – Which SiteGround Shared Hosting Plan Should I Choose?
There are three shared hosting plans (StartUp, GrowBig, GoGeek).
TheSiteGround GrowBig plan is noted as the best-selling shared hosting plan on their official site.
It has all features from the StartUp plan with more premium features.
SiteGround StartUp vs. GrowBig vs. GoGeek
StartUp Plan
The StartUp plan is for anyone who wants to create 1 website (with 10GB web space and 10,000 monthly visits).
The price starts at $3.99/month (up to 73% off).
However, if you think you can drive more than 10,000 monthly site visitors to your site exponentially quickly, it is probably better to go with the GrowBig at the start.
GrowBig Plan
Apart from all the features in the StartUp plan and free features in all plans (explained later), you could also have many more premium features with up to 73% OFF ($6.69/month).
Let’s have a close look.
- Unlimited websites
- 20GB web storage
- 25,000 monthly visits
- Premium server resources (handle better traffic spikes)
Advanced On-Demand Backup
This advanced feature allows you to back up your site instantly, so you can restore your website if something goes wrong.
Staging Environment
I love this feature. 💕
If you need to make changes that might affect your site, you can use the feature to create a copy of your live site (SiteGround clone website) and then make changes on the copy site to see the result.
💡 Note: Any changes made to this staging site would not affect the frontend and backend of your website.
If you are happy with all the modifications, you can choose to apply them to your site immediately or destroy them and then do it manually.
You are not happy with the result; no worries, simply destroy it as nothing has happened.
Apart from that, if something is wrong with your site, the staging site can help you find out the cause, so you can quickly fix the problem.
For example, say your signup form doesn’t show up on your site because of one of your plugins or themes; you can create a clone website, deactivate all your plugins and themes, then activate them one by one to see what the problem is.
Ultrafast PHP (a performance-boosting server)
The premium feature makes your pages load much faster (30% more speed) than the Standard PHP and reduces TTFB (up to 50% drop).
Who doesn’t want a fast-loading website?
GoGeek Plan – siteGround growBig or goGeek
As the name suggests, this plan is more for advanced website owners who have big businesses and know how to fully use the plan.
Like the GrowBig plan, you can also have unlimited websites. Instead of 20 GB and 25,000 visits, you can have 40GB and 100,000 monthly visits.
The promotional price starts at $14.99/month.
There are more powerful features in the GoGeek plan, but you can ignore this plan for now if you have just started a website.
See all features of the shared hosting plans in detail here >>
FREE Features of the GrowBig Hosting SiteGround – How Could These Help Your Business?
Exceptional Customer Support
When it comes to choosing a web hosting company, professional support is one of the most prominent elements to consider, especially for non-technical beginners.
Have you experienced the lengthy wait to get one question answered, the constant loss of connection with your representatives, and the frustration of not getting a proper answer from ill-trained agents?
Been there, done that.
No comparison, no harm. If you have tried other web hosting services, you will know what I mean.
I completely understand the feeling of being a starter and the very much need for constant help as I was once an absolute beginner.
When I signed up with SiteGround, I had no clue about web hosting. I asked the SiteGround support team tons of questions on a regular basis at the very beginning.
The customer support team is available 24/7, so feel free to contact them if you have general inquiries or technical issues.
My personal experience with SiteGround customer support is delightful. They are speedy, professional, and knowledgeable.
Many unexpected or unprecedented incidents could happen to your site, especially when your website grows bigger.
It is always good to know you are fully supported, so you don’t have to fret like a headless chicken if something goes wrong.
There are mainly three types of support (live chat, tickets, and phone).
Live Chat
I use online chat support most of the time for immediate solutions to my site issues. SiteGround staff normally walk me through my problems very fast.
Sometimes, they send me supporting documentation related to my problem.
They have a wealth of documentation with screenshots and step-by-step tutorials. I love the knowledge base because it clears up many questions in my mind.
Tickets
If there are advanced technical problems that couldn’t be solved on the spot, they will suggest opening a ticket, and you can just wait for the reply from one of their senior technicians with a detailed answer promptly.
In my experience, I usually get my answers less than an hour after submitting a ticket; sometimes, the problem might be addressed in a few hours.
Phone
I don’t have much experience with phone support as I only tried the service once.
The operator whom I talked to is professional and knowledgeable.
You can find the SiteGround phone number and an 8-digit access code you need to input to connect with the staff after describing your problems.
I found online chat is more efficient and convenient than phone support because it is lightning fast (almost no wait time), and you can multitask when waiting for your answers.
Advanced Priority Support
There is advanced priority support exclusively to the GoGeek plan. If you have just started a blog as a beginner, feel free to ignore this option.
Updates
In the meantime, you can follow their blog, social media, webinars, and tutorials on YouTube and newsletter.
Keep yourself updated with new tools, changes, and other exciting news.
Free SSL Certificate
Web security is the top priority for any website.
You can change your URL from HTTP to HTTPS with an SSL certificate (a must for websites nowadays), increasing the reliability and trustworthiness of your site.
It protects sensitive personal information provided by visitors. I wouldn’t feel comfortable and would never type in my personal information, such as credit card information, into a site without an SSL certificate.
Plus, Google favors secure sites with SSL certificates.
Free WP Migrator/Installation for WordPress Site Owners
WP Migrator
Are you scared of site migration? Me too.
Luckily for you, SiteGround free WP migrator makes site migration (unlimited WordPress websites) smooth and easy.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to do it yourself, there is an option to get the SiteGround WordPress experts to help you at an additional cost.
WP Installation
If you want to start a WordPress blog, you can install WordPress using the WP installation within a few clicks.
Once you log in, you can easily set up your site with the SiteGround WordPress Starter Kit within a few clicks.
Also, SiteGround fully managed WordPress services (such as SG Optimizer, SuperCacher, and WP Autoupdates) are available for all plans.
Free Email
You can have unlimited FREE email accounts at your domain name (more legit and professional) no matter which hosting plan you choose.
For instance,
- info@exmaple.com
- sales@exmaple.com
- hello@exmaple.com
Plus, you can forward all your emails to your mailbox, such as Gmail, so you don’t have to log into your SiteGround account to check your emails each time.
Automated Daily Backups
Some bloggers or site owners use a plugin to back up their data daily.
With SiteGround, there is no need to install extra plugins. You can have a daily backup on all plans.
If SOMETHING goes wrong with your site, you CAN restore your whole site without trouble.
What’s more, they use a new system for geographically distributed backups to enhance data protection.
Complimentary Cloudflare CDN
The fee CDN (content delivery network), another great feature you can take advantage of, could make your site load much faster from any part of the world.
Collaboration Tools
Adding collaborators used to be exclusive to higher plans (GrowBig, GoGeek).
Now you can do it in the StartUp plan. It is great news for beginners.
Once you decide to build a website, you can invite a designer, developer, or even an agency to work with you on your website without worrying about security issues (such as login detail).
Collaborators will have their own logins and Client Area. They can access your Site Tools, so can the dedicated SiteGround support team.
When the project is finished, you can stop the collaboration access easily.
Free All-In-One SiteGround Security Solution for WordPress Sites
Another thing I love about SiteGround is that it never stops making the services better. They constantly introduce speed and security solutions and functionalities.
This time (June 2021), they have launched the all-in-one SiteGround security plugin for WordPress sites.
If you have recently joined SiteGround, the plugin is pre-installed. Hurray!
This plugin covers mainly fours aspects to prevent your website from a series of threats such as malicious login attempts, brute force attacks, and malware injections.
- Site Security
- Login Security
- Activity Log
- Post-hack Actions
As a hosting provider, SiteGround is serious about the security of your website.
Outstanding Uptime
Uptime is the amount of time that your server keeps up and running.
Great uptime can definitely enhance the user experience on your site. SiteGround guarantees 99.99% uptime, and it delivers what it has promised.
Fast Site Speed
Site speed suggests how fast your site loads.
Web hosting plays an indispensable role in site speed.
Most new/returning visitors will leave your website immediately with poor loading time. On top of that, it is not good for ranking in Google.
SiteGround offers great speed-enhancing solutions (in-house caching tool) called SuperCacher that could speed up your site significantly.
How to sign up with the SiteGround GrowBig Plan
There are only three steps to get your site hosted withthe SiteGround GrowBig Plan
Step 1:
Click on this link to the pricing page, then choose GrowBig hosting by clicking on GET PLAN, as shown in the image below.
Note: The pricing stated in the image below was before the special discount. You will see $6.69/m for the GrowBig plan as long as the promotion is on. Act fast as I don’t know when the best price will be gone.
Step 2:
Then you need to get a domain name for your website.
Simply type your domain name into the box next to the www. if you have one.
Don’t have a domain name yet? No worries. You can get your domain registration on SiteGround at an affordable price (starting at $15/y) to keep everything in one place.
Step 3:
Now you can review the plan (GrowBig, Period, and Hosting Price). Feel free to leave the extra services unticked for now. I didn’t use it as well.
After that, you need to agree with the SiteGround Policies to proceed further.
If you want to receive their latest news, feel free to tick that option.
Once you click on PAY NOW, you have a SiteGround hosting account. 🙂
Want to know how I build this WordPress blog with SiteGround GrowBig Plan? Check this ultimate guide here.
SiteGround User Interface (Friendly Site Tools)
The user interface allows you to access all your site files, modify the web design, upload/download web files, check stats, and more.
Instead of cPanel, SiteGround impressed the public with an in-house custom control panel, a.k.a. Site Tools.
It is very beginner-friendly because the interface is clean and easy to navigate.
If you are scared of a complex interface like me, you will like this one.
SiteGround Pricing Plans
SiteGround offers monthly plans and yearly plans.
If you are serious about building a website (such as a WordPress blog or eCommerce store), it is good to go for a SiteGround yearly subscription because of the special price and refund policy.
You can get a massive discount (up to 73% off) for all shared hosting plans. These are the best prices so far, so don’t miss the chance.
You also have a 30-day money-back guarantee for all shared hosting plans,so there is no risk on you.
Note that the discounted price is applicable for your first invoice with any annual plan, and renewal prices will go back to normal.
Final Thoughts – SiteGround GrowBig Review
Would I recommend the SiteGround GrowBig plan?
Absolutely. Not only is this my hosting plan, but also it’s a great web hosting solution for website owners who want more options and premium features than the StartUp plan.
Don’t forget you can upgrade your plan when your site grows bigger.
I hope thisSiteGround GrowBig review has clarified your concerns about the GrowBig hosting plan.
Do you think the SiteGround GrowBig plan is the best fit for your business? Let me know in the comments.
What’s next? Check out these blogging tips:
– The Ultimate Guide: How To Start A Blog
– Common Blogging Mistakes For Beginners To Avoid